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Dancing With the Stars Season 6 Episode

605

Recap

On week five of Dancing with the Stars, here's what went down:

Mario and Karina Smirnoff (Samba) - Len believed that the samba suited Mario, praised the star's hip action, and advised him to pay more attention to his footwork. Bruno called the routine a beautifully-danced classic. Carrie Ann was pleased that Mario didn't distract the audience with his persona and appeal. Solid stuff. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)

Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel (Rumba) - Bruno praised Priscilla's ability to be sensual, but not trashy. Unfortunately, the slower pace of the dance revealed her faults, which included missed turns, shaky movements, and poor walks. Carrie Ann agreed, adding that the couple focused too much on technique and were overthinking. Len was disappointed with the heel leads and the careful nature of the routine. Bruno and Carrie Ann defended Priscilla up to a point, and the judges argued about Len's harsh remarks. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7).

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani (Samba) - Carrie Ann said the couple's samba was their best routine by far. Apart from some musicality issues in the beginning, the dance was fantastic. Len thought the performance had more bounce for the ounce, and appreciated the mix of basic steps and clever choreography. He wanted to see more hip movement than shoulder movement, though. Bruno told Marissa that she had more shakes than a cocktail bar. Score: 24 (8, 8, 8).

CristiÃ¡n de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke (Rumba) - Len called the performance competent, but not fantastic. He acknowledged that CristiÃ¡n overcame the issue of being either too stiff or too soft, though. Bruno praised the couple's chemistry and thought they gave a good performance. He noticed that the walks betrayed some of their technical shortcomings; they should have caressed the floor. Carrie Ann disagreed with Bruno's remarks about the couple's chemistry. She thought Cheryl and CristiÃ¡n looked out of sync and expected the routine to be more erotic. She advised them to work on sustaining their movements. Score: 23 (7, 8, 8)

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez (Samba) - Bruno told Marlee that she inspired him, but pointed out several places where she lost her timing. Carrie Ann agreed that Marlee's lack of rhythm was a major issue. She commended the actress for her being a fighter in spite of her mistakes. Len loved Marlee's confidence, and didn't bother repeating Bruno and Carrie Ann's criticisms. Score: 22 (7, 7, 8)

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas (Rumba) - Best of the night. Carrie Ann was proud of Kristi's willingness to take risks each week. The couple traded some of their technical skill for emotion, but it was a wise trade-off. Len praised Kristi for casting off her inhibitions, and called her routine "fabulous." Bruno thought Kristi was "yummylicious," and loved the couple's chemistry and artistry. Score: 29 (9, 10, 10)

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska (Rumba) - Bruno thought Jason looked like a love god, and complimented the athlete on his lines and hip action. Carrie Ann said that Edyta and Jason's chemistry was insane. She told him to pay attention to his arms when they are down at his sides. Len told Jason that he looked natural, like a bloke having a dance. He didn't love the poses that he did with Edyta, however, and wanted to see Jason do more on his own. Fair enough. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)